discovery programme
Kali Theatre and Hampstead are thrilled to announce the four writers who have been chosen for Discovery, a free writing programme for aspiring female playwrights of South Asian descent - Ri Chakraborty, T'arah Inam-McDermott, Gayathiri Kamalakanthan and Alia Pathan.
Hampstead Theatre is the London partner of Discovery. For writers in the North East and North West of England, Discovery is also run in collaboration with Oldham Coliseum and Leeds Playhouse.
The programme includes:
- 3 playwriting workshops led by leading female practitioners
- Dramaturgical support to develop their 10-page submission into a 20-minute play
- Rehearsal with actors and director
- Two public performances of a staged reading as part of a showcase for industry, friends and family
- A bursary towards travel expenses and childcare
Directors - Helena Bell and Natasha Kathi Chandra
MEET THE PLAYWRIGHTS
Ri Chakraborty: “Theatre has an electricity and rawness which has always captivated me. To have the opportunity to develop my writing and watch it come to life at the Hampstead Theatre is mind-blowing AND to be supported by Dramaturgs with exceptional calibre is truly a chance in a lifetime!”
T'arah Inam-McDermott: “I am delighted to be part of the Kali discovery programme! Last Meal Mary is the first play I've written and in it, I wanted to explore the mental health struggles which many of us go through and the importance of those around us. I wrote this play as I thought it would be something for people to not only relate to but to be able to laugh at and find some kind of catharsis.”
Gayathiri Kamalakanthan is a non-binary Tamil playwright. Gayathiri writes stories that centre gender nonconforming folks of colour. “Working with theatre makers I admire towards a staged reading is a step I am so excited to take with Kali!”
Alia Pathan: “As a visual artist and music producer, I've written songs and short films and this is my first attempt at writing for theatre. I'm so grateful to be accepted for the Kali Discovery programme and to find creative support for this idea.”
